More of the same

Laila El-Haddad

March 29, 2006 03:12 PM

In the face of grim political prospects and ever-increasing physical and economic isolation, Palestinians in Gaza are reacting to the Israeli elections with indignant apathy.

Many see the outcome was a given, and consider the front-runners to be essentially two sides of the same coin.

"Past experience has taught us not to expect much from Israeli elections. Whatever leader will come to power, the most we will get is tough lengthy negotiations that mainly concentrate on marginal issues, " Rami al-Mugheiri, a 31-year-old editor, said, noting that settlement building peaked during what was considered to be the most far-leaning Israeli administrations of all time.

By way of example, al-Mugheiri referred to the elections in 2000, when Israelis voted Ehud Barak's Labour party into power. Barak was "nevertheless intransigent regarding the Palestinians' right to return, Jerusalem, and continued settlement expansion", during the Camp David talks.

Abu Diyab Abu al-Awf, 72, lives in the al-Bureij refugee camp in eastern Gaza. "Each of the candidates is worse than the next as far as Palestinians are concerned," he said. "The only difference is, some are stronger and make certain pragmatic decisions, and some don't," he explained, lamenting Gaza's isolation and gradual transformation into a maximum security penitentiary, closed off from the West Bank and the world.

More at;
Guardian Unlimited

That is the only equation that many seem to know.

n/t

"Abu Diyab Abu al-Awf, 72, lives in the al-Bureij refugee camp in eastern Gaza. "Each of the candidates is worse than the next as far as Palestinians are concerned," he said. "The only difference is, some are stronger and make certain pragmatic decisions, and some don't,"

I am really surprised with this quote, this guy understands that the Isrealis are well beyond idealism, I wonder if he understands that both sides need to be pragmatic with the peace process as opposed to idealistic.